Russia

Russia have said that they have uncovered a system where ISIS militants transfer new gunmen recruits to their terror regime via cooperation with Turkey.  According to Andrey Przhezdomsky, an advisor to the head of the National Anti-Terrorist Committee: “In Turkey, there is an organized system of transferring additions to the ISIL terrorist organization [former name of IS] or the so-called Daesh, outlawed in Russia”.  Russia’s special services know all the routes of sending the recruits, he said.

Submitted by Nick Cunningham via OilPrice.com,

The rumors of a coordinated production cut between OPEC and Russia continue to grow more serious. The latest comes from the Russian energy minister Alexander Novak, who insisted that Russia will hold talks with OPEC in February on a possible agreement to reduce output.

It is safe to say that nobody expected the BOJ stunner announced last night, when Kuroda announced that Japan would become the latest country to unleash negative interest rates, for one simple reason: Kuroda himself said Japan would not adopt negative rates just one week ago! However, a few BIS conference calls since then clearly changed the Japanese central banker's mind and as we wrote, and as those who are just waking up are shocked to learn, negative rates are now a reality in Japan.

Submitted by Eric Zuesse via Strategic-Culture.org,

Putin has announced plans to ban soybeans and corn imports into Russia from the United States over possible GMO contamination.  Russia’s food safety watchdog say that the contaminated products risk affecting food safety in Russia and could adversely affect other Eurasian Economic Union members. RT.com reports: The Russian agency says it notified US authorities on Monday to halt exports of corn contaminated with dry rot to Russia.